The above-referenced co-pending '317 application describes a portable telecommunications test system, diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1 as comprising a hand-held personal computer-based test and communications craft unit 10, through which a craftsperson, who has been directed by a dispatch center 11 to a service site located remotely with respect to a central office 12 serving a line 13 to be tested, may communicate with the central office and with a generic test head 14 that is connectable to the line under test. To reach the service site, the craftsperson employs a technician's service vehicle 20.
As described in the '317 application, the test system functionality of the supervisory control mechanism executed by the internal processor of the craft unit 10 provides the service technician with a user-friendly, icon-based, test procedure for facilitating the craftsperson performance of various tests on the line. In so doing, the portable craft unit 10 is able to interact with multiple types of existing operational support systems.
For this purpose, via a contact-sensitive (e.g., pen 15 touch-operated) video display panel 16 of hand-held craft unit 10, the craftsperson may selectively invoke one or more test operations represented by a set of analysis and test function-associated icons. In response to these selections, the internal control processor of craft unit 10 executes communication and signal processing operations associated with an identified test. The test head 14 proper performs data acquisition on demand from the computer within craft unit 10, including the execution of functional tests.
In order to communicate with a remote network facility (central office 12 or dispatch/data center 11), the craft unit 10 contains a transceiver interface, which is further interfaced with a communication and signal processing sub-system on board the technician's service vehicle 20. The communication and signal processing sub-system on board the van, in turn, links the craft unit 10 with the remote network facility, via either a short haul wireless link, or by way of an auxiliary back-up wireline link.
The central office facility 12 typically includes a central office switch 31, central office test devices 33, and a line-conditioning device 35, such as a direct access test unit (DATU), or (SASS) transmission conditioning system. The central office test devices 33 are capable of providing an interface with various operational support systems of the data center 11, such as a service vehicle dispatch, outside plant record database, automated testing systems, and electronic network schematics. The line-conditioning device (e.g. DATU or SASS) 35 within central office 12 provides the craftsperson with the ability to selectively conduct a number of tests of a line through the operation of either craft unit 10, or by invoking specified key combinations (sequences) from a standard craftsperson's telephone test set.
Within service van 20 is a battery-charging, communication and signal processing sub-system 21, that includes a network server 22, a long haul wireless interface 23, a printer 24, and a battery holder/charging station 25. The network server 22 contains a file server that provides additional processing power and electronic data storage, and performs auxiliary data processing tasks on demand from the craft unit 10. The long haul wireless interface 23 provides a wireless gateway to long haul wireless services. Printer 24 is available to print out various information, such as test results. As described in the above-referenced Nelson et al application, the battery holder/charging station 25 is not only configured to receive and store the portable craft unit 10, so that the power supply (battery pack) of craft unit 10 may be recharged, when not in use, but it is additionally equipped with a multi-pin signalling communication port, that allows the craft unit 10 to operated in a hands-free, `on-line` condition while being stored and charged.
As further described in the above-referenced Nelson et al application, and as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, craft unit 10 is configured of a top portion 41 containing a display screen 43, such as a backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, and an adjacent control element region 45. A protective lid 50 is arranged to be closed upon and protect display screen 43, when the craft unit is not in use. Control element region 45 may include one or more control buttons or switch elements 46 for operating the internal circuitry of the unit. Control element region may also include a depression or channel 47 in which a contact pen 49 may be captured, when not being used. Contact pen 49 may be employed by the craftsperson to touch or contact variously displayed icons or functional control buttons displayed on display screen 43, and thereby invoke specified operations associated with the displayed icons. Adjacent to control elements 46 are a plurality of audio apertures 44 beneath which an internal speaker is mounted.
Adjoining the top portion 41 of craft unit 10 are left and right side portions 51 and 52, a lower end portion 54 and an upper end portion 55. Each of these side and end portions further adjoins a bottom portion 57, which to contains a generally rectilinear arrangement 62 of recessed regions 63. This recessed region arrangement provides access to a multi-pin female terminal lead connector arrangement, the leads of which mate with corresponding male connector pins within a craft unit-receiving cup-like portion of the battery-charging and storage station. Left side portion 51 adjoins lower end portion 54 at corner region 71, while right side portion 52 adjoins lower end portion 54 at corner region 73. Each of these corner regions 71 and 73 has a respective passageway 81, 83 through which a support cord, such as a neck strap 84, may be secured.
Disposed in right side portion 52 adjacent to corner region 73 of the craft unit is a connector receptacle port 87, which is configured to support a cylindrically configured, sealed, multi-pin receptacle by way of which telephone communication signals and/or digital communication signals may be routed, via an associated sealed, cylindrically configured, plug assembly between the craft unit 10 and an external device, such as test head 14.
As noted above, the contact-sensitive display screen panel 43 of craft unit is protected by a pivotable lid 50, shown in its closed position in FIG. 2, in its open position in FIG. 3, and in its fully extended position in FIG. 4. Lid 50 is mechanically attached the craft unit by means of a left side lid pivot attachment 75 adjoining the intersection of the left side portion 51 with the upper end portion 55 of the craft unit, and a right side lid pivot attachment 76 adjoining the intersection of the right side portion 52 with upper end portion 55 of the craft unit.